XN000022-1985-03-18 — Page 4

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MONDAY, MARCH 18, 1985

+HE HAS STRIVEN SUCCESSFULLY TO MAINTAIN, IN ALL INSTITUTIONS UNDER HIS CHARGE, BOTH A HIGH STANDARD OF DISCIPLINE AND EFFICIENCY AND AN ATMOSPHERE OF GENUINE CONCERN FOR THE IR INMATES, HE SAID.

+HE HAS DEVELOPED THE CORRECTIONAL SERVICE INTO A BODY OF DEVOTED, COMPETENT AND LOYAL OFFICERS, WHO ARE PROUD OF THE SERVICE TO WHICH THEY BELONG, HE SAID.

+AND HE WILL BE MISSED FOR HIS PERSONAL QUALITIES, OF INVARIABLE COMMON SENSE, OF UNCHANGING GOOD HUMOUR AND OF AN ACUTE UNDERSTANDING OF THE CONDUCT AND MOTIVES OF HIS FELLOW MEN. + SIR DENYS SAID.

PRISONERS' SCHEME BEING PREPARED AG *****

A PILOT SCHEME FOR EARLY RELEASE OF PRISONERS UNDER SUPERVISION IS NOW IN THE COURSE OF PREPARATION, THE ATTORNEY GENERAL, MR MICHAEL THOMAS, SAID TODAY (MONDAY).

+THIS WILL ENABLE PRISONERS APPROVED BY AN INDEPENDENT BOARD TO BE SENT HOME OR INTO HOSTEL ACCOMMODATION TO COMPLETE THE LAST PART OF THEIR SENTENCES, + MR THOMAS SAID AT THE OPENING OF THE FIRST MEETING OF THE COMMONWEALTH CORRECTIONAL ADMINISTRATORS CONFERENCE.

LAST YEAR, MR THOMAS SAID, A BILL ENABLING COMMUNITY SERVICE ORDERS TO BE MADE HAD BEEN ENACTED FOLLOWING A STUDY BY THE LAW REFORM COMMISSION OF SIMILAR SCHEMES IN OTHER PARTS OF THE COMMONWEALTH.

+THESE ARE MEASURES THAT WILL, I HOPE, ASSIST HONG KONG TO KEEP UP WITH DEVELOPMENTS ELSEWHERE IN THE WORLD IN ITS TREATMENT OF OFFENDERS, HE SAID.

MR THOMAS SAID HONG KONG'S ACHIEVEMENTS IN THE FIELD OF PENOLOGY AND PENAL ADMINISTRATION WERE IMPRESSIVE, ALTHOUGH THE CORRECTIONAL SERVICES, WITH A POPULATION CURRENTLY OF EIGHT THOUSAND PRISONERS, WAS ONE OF HONG KONG'S LESSER KNOWN ACHIEVEMENTS.

+ IT IS A TRIBUTE TO PAST ADMINISTRATIONS AND ADMINISTRATORS THAT DURING TIMES WHEN HONG KONG HAD DEVELOP SO RAPIDLY TO HOUSE, EDUCATE AND EMPLOY THE WAVES OF IMMIGRANTS WHO CROWDED INTO HONG KONG IN THE SIXTIES AND SEVENTIES, SUBSTANTIAL RESOURCES WERE NONETHELESS ALLOCATED AT THE SAME TIME TO HOUSE, EDUCATE AND EMPLOY THOSE IMPRISONED FOR BREAKING THE LAWS, + HE SAID.

MR THOMAS